I think Specialty Canephora is a bold name for at least two reasons. One, the term "speciality" originally applied exclusively to Arabica. Two, Canephora is not the name used for high-quality coffee in this category. Therefore, by saying Specialty Canephora, we are coining a potentially brand new chapter in the history of coffee as a whole.
The answer to why this is significant lies in the words themselves. "Specialty Coffee" was first used as a term in 1974 by Erna Knusten in an issue of the Tea And Coffee Trade Journal. She used this term to refer to the highest quality beans produced in unique microclimates. Since then, this name has been used for flavourful Arabica of high quality in which you can "taste the origin". This concept was enthusiastically adopted by the wine-derived Third Wave coffee movement, whose primary objective was to serve speciality coffee roasted and brewed to the highest standard. And so, very soon, this term no longer applied solely to the quality of the raw material but to three separate points in the chain: the producer, the roaster and the barista. Important to point out is that "Robusta" has been used as an example of what specialty coffee is not this whole time. It was an easy and often accurate example of poor quality and lack of flavour complexity.
On the other hand, we have "Canephora". Although acknowledged by the Coffee Quality Institute and World Coffee Research as the correct name for the species, the widely used and partially colloquial "Robusta" has been widely accepted and used in its place. And while you know I am very fond of "Canephora", there are good reasons for using both names in specific scenarios. Neither is wrong. In the quality world, Robusta distinguishes between high, premium or low/commercial quality. The highest Q certificate (awarded by the CQI) a Robusta coffee can acquire is "Fine Grade", which, similarly to Arabica, means that a coffee has scored a minimum of 80 points out of 100. In this world, it is the equivalent of the Specialty Grade. There can, however, only be Fine Grade and Commercial Grade in the world of sensory, with a middle ground called the Premium Grade for green beans. Premium-grade coffee is a middle ground for lots with too many defects to be considered Fine, but it is not enough to be considered commercial. In the sensory world, however, Premium Grade cannot be regarded as Fine Grade and will be scored in the Commercial Grade category by ICPs. That could be a tad harsh. Maybe, but that's the system.
As you can imagine, speciality Canephora is a child of these two terms and, like any child, challenges its parents. First, it shifts the established narrative exclusive to only one species. Second, we stray away from the world of CQI and take the Fine Robusta standard. To it, we add the need for specificity not only in distinguishing between varieties but also in defining standards for roasting and brewing. Voila! Speciality Canephora.
